Indian Startup Othisis Hot-Fires a Fully 3D-Printed Cryogenic Rocket Engine

The test in detail

Othisis, a Bengaluru startup founded just two years ago, has successfully hot-fired its 5 kN fully cryogenic rocket engine. The engine runs on liquid oxygen and methane, uses selective laser melting for its metal parts, and is designed for vertical take-off and vertical landing.

The engine produces 100 kNs of total impulse. That is enough to launch and land the reusable hopper rocket Othisis plans to fly later this year. The company says it went through a few failed attempts before nailing the stationary test-fire.

Why cryogenic and reusable

Liquid oxygen and methane burn cleaner than the kerosene most small launchers use. The residue left behind is minimal, which cuts maintenance time between flights. Methane also has a higher specific impulse, meaning more thrust from the same amount of fuel. The catch is that both propellants must stay very cold, and the tanks are larger than those for denser fuels.

Othisis designed the engine with a chilled-fuel cooling loop. The same fuel flowing through the combustion chamber walls keeps the metal from melting. The company also notes that LOX and methane can theoretically be manufactured in-situ from CO2 and water, which matters for long-duration missions.

A young team with big plans

Othisis is the brainchild of Syed Affan, who founded the company while still an undergraduate. The startup has already signed memoranda of understanding to carry payloads into space despite its short history. If the hopper flight happens later this year as planned, Othisis would join a very small group of private Indian companies to reach that milestone.

The bigger picture

3D-printed rocket engines are not new. Rocket Lab's Rutherford, Blue Origin's BE-4, and large parts of SpaceX's Raptor all use additive manufacturing. Othisis is not breaking that ground. What stands out is the speed: a two-year-old company with a test-fired cryogenic engine built in-house is moving fast by any standard.